Who was this photographer?

I have a family photo that measures about 8x11 inches. It's a somewhat artistic, well done (for the time) portrait photo of head and shoulders. The date appears to be 1919 or 1914, which seems right for the age of the subject. It was framed by a New York art dealer. I've searched, and come up empty on the photographer. The subject had the money to hire a good photographer. Photos below show the photographers sig on the bottom right corner of photo, and below that, the framer's tag on the back. Any ideas?

 

Is there a reason why you didn't post the photograph itself?

Debora

 

Jean Bohne was on 28th Street in 1917.

Debora

 

I didn't know if it would make a difference. It might be hard to scan. It's in a clunky and very dirty frame, and I will have to partially destroy the frame to get the photo out to do a proper scan. If it's helpful, I can scan it as-is.

 

Well, given you're asking for assistance identifying a photographer... It would be helpful to see the photograph itself. Your query -- identifying a photographer by a stylized signature alone -- is a bit of a needle in haystack and it would be helpful to at least know in what era she was working. Nothing I see so far supports a 1914 or 1917 date.

Debora

 

Perhaps just do a photograph rather than a scan.

 

Hi @smallaxe, have you checked out this resource? I'd say it's HUGE....I think it'd be a nightmare to go all the way through, since you don't have a last name, AND the years of the photographers aren't in chronological order that I could see.....I think you'd be hitting GOLD if you found it, BUT.....it's a listing of N.Y. Photographers going back into the 1800's....to probably near current.....

https://www.yumpu.com/en/document/v...-in-the-new-york-public-librarys-photography-

 

I checked that using the "find" function on my computer and it only reported the one with the last name of Jill Lynne and she was too young.

 

@say_it_slowly, was that within that website, or JUST using GOOGLE??? Thanks!!!

 

Pull down find function if this is what you're asking.

 

I had used a different link to get there.

https://www.nypl.org/sites/default/...The_New_York_Public_Library_April_16_2010.pdf

 

This is why I think a date of 1919 fits. The subject of the photo was born in 1878. Here is the photo in the frame (she would be 41)


This is her in 1899 at age 21

Below is her in 1909 at the age of 31

This is her around 1925 (age 47)

 

You are brilliant! I think that cracks it. There was a photographer named B.F.Clynne or Glynne that had a studio in Atlantic City, and in New York. He died in 1919. The subject of the photo lived in New Jersey, and had a house near Atlantic City. I will do more research tomorrow, but I think you provided the key piece to the puzzle. Your insight that the border of the sig is actually a letter never would have occurred to me. I just didn't see it.

 

Sure helps to have lots of eyes looking!!!! I just wanted to say how beautiful I think this photo is. It captures a lovely woman and just exudes emotion.

 

Here is what I was able to find about the photographer after @i need help enlightened me on how to read the signature correctly.

Barnet S. Clynne (1888-1919) and his wife Frieda, immigrants from Polish Russia, had a photography studio at 731 Boardwalk in Atlantic City called "Society Studio". In 1919 he opened a studio on Fifth Ave, New York. Tragically, he died suddenly at his New York studio on Feb 27 1919, leaving a young daughter and his wife, pregnant with his son who was born 2 months later. His wife continued the studio in Atlantic City, which survived into the 1950's and '60's, run by Frieda, her second husband (Edward Beldegreen), and later, some of her children.

I suspect examples of Clynne's photographs with his signature would be from his New York studio, which was only open for about a month, which would explain why I couldn't find other examples.

 

NICE, smallaxe!!! GREAT story and LOVELY looking woman!!! A couple of those pics look like news print....was she a celeb or society???? Inquiring minds just curious???

 

GREAT!! Thanks S-i-S!! I found some super postcard pics of old Block Island in the NYPL!!!!! Thru happenstance!!!

 

Local society, and friends with some minor to mid level music celebrities of the time.